Record-feeding machine



1,691,919 F. M. CARROLL RECORD FEEDING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 2. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 20, 1928. 1, 91,919

' F. M. CARROLL RECORD FEEDI NG MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 2. 1922 2 sheet -sheet 2 Illt 3 I muungggymmu 73 2| amve ntoz FRED M. CARROLL Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED srars FRED M. CARROLL, OE YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE TABULATING MA.-

CHINE COMPANY, OF ENDIOOTT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RECORD FEEDING MACHINE.

' Original application filed December-2, 1922, Serial No. 604,563. Divided and this application filed December 10, 1926.

The invention relates to record feeding devices and more particularly to record 'feeding devices which are particularly adapted for use in connection with machines of the automatic type such as the combined sorter and tabulator described in my copending application N 0. 604,563, filed December 2, 192?, of which the present application is a division. I p

The parent case embodies an illustration of the feeding mechanism applied to a combined tabulator and sorter for feeding perforated record cards to the analyzing mechanism. It is not limited to=such a use but may be employed wherever it is desired to feed records or blanks automatically to a machine. The

feeding device differs from those heretofore In use in that a card magazine or pocket is provided with movable side walls in the shape 80 of endless moving belts which press against the ends of the records being fed so that they move with the belts. The pressure of the belts against the ends of the records should be adjusted so that it will be sufiicient to move the cards withthe belt but. not suflicient to cause buckling of the cards and to this end one of the belt supporting structures is resiliently mounted so that it exerts a yielding pressure against the card ends. The moving belts move the records successively into cooperating relationship with a picker by means of whi ch they may be fed one at a time to the analyzing or operating mechanism of the machine with which the feeding device is associated.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a record feeding mechan sm involving new and improved construction and arrangement of parts.-

A more specific object is to provide a sure and accurate record feeding mechanism adapted for high speed operation;

Another object of the invention is 'to pro- ,vide a record pocket or a magazine comprising movable walls for assisting in feeding the records.

Another'object of the invention 'is to provide a record magazine or pocket comprising movable walls to feed the records into cooperative relationship with a card picker.

Another object of the invention is to provide a record magazine or pocket having movable walls at least one of which is resiliently Serial No. 153,80et.

supported to permit proper tension between the records and the moving walls.

These and other objects, which will become apparent hereinafter, will be understood from the following detailed description which should be read in connection with I the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a record feeding device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a detail section of the device in Fig. 1'

Fig. 3 shows a bottom plan view of the device shown in Fig. l and Fig. 4 shows a detail of the right hand movable wall in Fig. l, certain parts being omitted to clearly disclose the wall supporting structure. 7

Referring to Fig. 1, the device is shown in combination with a record carrying drum 3 provided with a card clip 27. As each card is fed from the pocket it is gripped by the clip 27 and held onto the rotating drum. The upper card 29 is shown inthe act of being gripped by the card clip 27. The rotating drum 3 and the card clip 27 are described in detail in the parent application referred to above and they will not be further described in the present application. It will be understood that this drum and card clip have been chosen merely for the purpose "of illustration as it is obvious that many other types of gripping means could besubstituted for it if so desired.

The cards are fed to the card drum from a supply pocket 7 O. The side walls of this pocket are shown as'comp'rising endless belts 71 mounted on horizontal rollers 72.- One of the rollers of each wall may be provided with a pinion 73, interconnected by a air of idlers 74. One of the roller shafts a so carries at its lower end a worm wheel 7 5 meshing with a power "shaft 23. The walls engaging the edges of the cards may thus be kept in constant motion to feed and hold the cards against the front plate 81. A spring-expand ingtelescoping back plate 82,.adapted to engage the walls of the pocket and to be carried thereby, may be placed against the back of the cards. The walls may also-be adapted to move slightly toward and away from each other and may be urged toward each other so as to maintain pressure against the edge of the cards. For this purpose the rollers of one of the walls may be carried in a frame 83 (see Fig. 4). The two ends of said frame maybe fixed toe plate 84. Lever members 85 pivotally mounted on posts 86 may in turn be pivotally connected to the frame embers as at 87 and to each other as shown at 88. Said levers are pressed outwardly by a spring 89 engaging a project'aon 90on one of the levers and relatively fixe wall 91. It

will be seen from this construction that the wall of the pocket will be resilientl forced against the cards. It should be un erstood,

.of course, that the movement of the wall and rollers is very slight and does not interfere with the proper 'enmeshmeu't of the several interconnectin gears which serve to drive the rollers an belt. Also the frame of the machine, as may be seen in Fig. 4, may be provided with an opening to accommodate the shaft on which lower roller 72is mounted, said opening being slightly larger than the slflaift to permit of slight sidewise movement 0 t.

With this type of feeding pocket it is possible to remove thebackin member 82 to add cards to the stack from time to time without interrupting the operation of the machine. i

At the top of the card stack is a claw-like lever 92 pivoted to a reciprocating bracket 94. Also pivoted to the bracket is a link 93 v attached'to one arm of a bell crank 95, the other arm of whch carries a roller engaging a cam 96 on the shaft 80". A spring 97 pulls the bell crank and consequently also the lever 92 to the right, and the cam moves them to the left. The lever 92 is pitched slightly forward and is pulled a ainst the card 29- by a spring 98. Thus the ever will slide over the card when moving to the right, but will jam against it on its forward stroke. This will start the feeding of the front card. In the meantime a feedingpawl 99 actuated by a bell crank 100 cooperating with a cam 101 will move back and forth against the face of the card alternately with the reciprocations of the lever 92, a spring 102 being adapted I to hold the pawl against the card. Thus,

when the card moves forward, the pawl 99- moving rearwardly'will slip off the rear edge of the card and on the next forward stroke push the card into position to be gripped between the clips 27 and 'the'drum 3 as shown in Fig. 1.

The vantages ofthe present' type of feed -mechanism are believedto be obvious but it may be stated tliat the device provides for a positive feed of the successive records to the picker mechanism and also permits the sup- .ply of cards the magazine or pocket to be replenished while. the mechanism is in operation, as the back late 82 may be removed and the pressure in place and cause them to be fed just as if tween the moving belts and the record cards will hold the cards the back plate were in place. Furthermore,

the device is nbt limited to the use of cards as paper or other flexible sheets may be fed by it although unless the records possess a certain stiffness the back plate 82 must be in place during the feeding operation to properly hold the records.

The invention has now been described in connection with a specific, embodiment for the sake of explaining and illustrating a practical and preferred form of it but it wlllbe understood that many modifications will.

readily occur to those skilled in the art and I intend to' be limited only as by the scope of the following claims:

What is claimed is 1. In a sheet feeding device, a supply container having a wall compressible against a .stack of sheets, and means for movmg said wall for advancing the sheets.

2. In a sheet feeding device, a1 container, means for feeding sheets from-said container, and a movable endless belt associated with Said container and adapted to engage sheets within the container and urge the same to-' ward said'feeding means.-

3. In a, card feedin device, a container, means for feeding car a movable back adapted to urge cards toward from said container,

said feeding means, and means for continuadvance the same, and grippers adapted to thereafter grip the forward edge of the sheet to carry the same.

6. In a perforated record card controlledapparatus, card feeding means, card storage means, means for delivering cards therefrom t said feeding means comprising a removab e pusher member, and: means for continuing the delivery of said cards on removal of said pusher member during the replenishment of said storage means with additional cards.

7. In a sheet feedin device, a supply container having side wa ls consistin of a pair of endless belts adapted to frictlonally engage opposite edges of sheets in the container an means for continuously driving said belts to advance the heets through the frictional engagement of t he belts with their edges.

8. In a sheet feeding device, a supply container having side walls consisting of a pair of 5 endless belts adapted to frictionally engage opposite edges of sheets in the container and means for continuously driving said belts to advance the sheets through the frictional engagement of the belts with their edges and a movable supporting structure for one of said belts with means for yieldingly urging it tonature.

FRED M. CARROLL. 

